Alfonso Nieves, area director of Big Brothers Big Sisters, said their goal was $30,000, but they almost doubled that goal. He also said there was a total of 40 bowling teams that wanted to participate but there wasn’t enough lanes or bowling shoes so 36 teams participated.

“We had a blast,” he said.

Nieves said it was a great turnout and is so thankful for all the participants as well as the Citizen Potawatomi Nation for everything they contributed.

During the event, professional bowlers from Professional Bowlers Association were auctioned off to be on teams. Sponsor teams consisting of civic clubs, emergency services, realtors, bankers, and other organizations brought in $20,000, he said.

“We are extremely grateful to the community,” Nieves said.

Several awards were handed out throughout the evening including trophy winners in various categories dealing with the bowling event, plus the Champion of the Year award presented to Paul Milburn for outstanding support of children in the community. Door prizes were also awarded.

Leslie Lungester, an Oklahoma Baptist University student, is an active big sister member of Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“Bowl for Kids Sake was a great time to celebrate Big Brothers Big Sisters and continue to raise money for the program. Thank you for all you do,” she said.

According to Big Brothers Big Sisters website, their mission is to help children reach their potential through one-to-one relationships with mentors that have a measurable impact on youth. Their vision is to successfully mentor relationships for all children who need or want them and to contribute to brighter futures, better schools and stronger communities.